Dragondola
Making friends the inescapable way
Feeling a bit lonely I decided to ingratiate myself with a group of 4 Aussie's and a Kiwi by inviting myself into their gondola car.
The first big site to see is the view of the Green Stage crowd area.
My travelling companions and I traded regional curiosities for awhile (I didn't know they called it a soccer field and not a football pitch in Australia--interesting...) and munched on crisps. Or chips. Or whatever they're called. Anyway, I think they liked me. I'm certain they were all impressed by my press credentials. No one made an overt effort to push me out at least, although they did keep 'accidentally' opening the door at my back whenever I was leaning on it...
It gets shockingly steep at times, and you feel like you are going to plummet. But it's not a roller coaster, it's a gondola.
We really could've used some beer for the journey. Heineken kindly put some handheld fans in the car for us, but alas it was not the right kind of coolin'.
After a half hour journey to the top--much longer than I had anticipated--I came to the sinking realization that I was supposed to be at the Gypsy Avalon in 30 minutes. I was resigned to failing in my assignment and accepting the boss man's 'Shanghai rooster egg' punishment (I'd explain it, but it's much easier to demonstrate, if you'd like to get in touch...) when one of my traveling companions suggested that I could probably pull rank and jump the queue. Right! I had completely forgotten how special I was! Anyway, they may have just been trying to get rid of me. Who could really stand another 30 minute ride with me? Certainly not my mother, as she made abundantly clear that time she abandoned me at Disneyland in the third grade...
Just a bit of techno at the top, no dancing bunnies like I'd heard there was earlier. I had to go anyway, so I popped to the front of the queue, hoping there would be someone there to stop me so I could flash my red wristband. But no one did. So instead of looking alike a VIP on a mission to all the saps who waited for 20 minutes to board the 'dola, I looked like some random ass head who thinks he's too good to wait like everyone else. Great. Way to represent for the white man, Joe.
Reported by kern (2007.07.28 / 14:38)
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